Research Park Featured in Illinois Business Leader

The University of Illinois Research Park is highlighted in this month’s issue of Illinois Business Leader as one of the biggest hubs in Illinois for innovation and technological advancement. The article discusses the roles of the University of Illinois Research Park and Champaign-Urbana in the growing influence of the Midwest has in the areas of STEM.

Laura Frerichs, Director of the Research Park, was interviewed for the August issue of Illinois Business Leader. Frerichs discusses the success of the park and how it has changed and grown into a leader of AgTech. Frerichs sites many of the large companies in Champaign as leaders for the Research Park’s growth such as John Deere, Syngenta, Agrible, and many more.

Not only are these companies helping the Research Park progress, but the University plays a big role in the success of the park as well. “The University of Illinois has a powerful combination of being both elite and large, one of the top five engineering schools in the United States, but also one of the largest engineering schools in the United States,” Frerichs states. The Research Park takes advantage of this by employing over 700 students. “The businesses are grooming the students to become a pipeline of future talent.” This is just the beginning for the Research Park as it continues to grow.

Read more on the Research Park’s influence on the growth of the Midwest tech scene here.